Hisory of Winniepeg
Christopher Robin’s favourite bear owes his namesake to an American black bear cub discovered in Canada .
At the outbreak of war in 1914, Lieutenant Harry Colebourn departed by train from his then hometown of
Winnipeg to join up with the 2nd Canadian Infantry Bridgade. The train made a stop in White River , Ontario where he purchased a black bear cub for $20 from a hunter. He named her “Winniepeg”, or Winnie, for short.
Winnie traveled with him to his army camp and became the mascot of the Brigade. She was tame and followed many of the men around like a puppy. When the Brigade was posted to France , Lt. Coleburn made arrangements with the London Zoo to keep the bear on loan.
After the war, he returned to collect Winnie only to discover that she had become extremely popular with the visitors. So, Lt. Colebourn officially bequeathed Winnie to the zoo, where in a few years’ time, the young Christopher Robin Milne became a regular guest & the “best of friends” with the bear.
